In The Spotlight: Aesir A|V

One of my favorite things about the vaporwave community is that the rabbit hole never seems to end. I can log into Twitter and look for a new artist every single day, and still never even scratch the surface of the sheer amount of music being put out. As an artist, this can feel overwhelming — creating music and releasing it into the void of the internet, hoping even one person listens to it and gives you feedback. I really enjoy being someone who gets to interact with artists in this way, and one of my absolute favorite finds is Aesir A|V.

Aesir A|V is a bit of a mystery. My first introduction to them was Florawave — an audio/visual treat that blends two live sets with colorful effects that often feel like reverb for video. As an Audio AND Video project, Aesir A|V releases music from a multitude of projects such as Geo Metro, Bonneville, Suzuki Sidekick, and Spoiler while also releasing videos for singles such as GEO METRO | 和平KOWLOON和平. The videos tend to be multi-layered and they mash-up videos you wouldn’t expect to see together, so they definitely add to the experience overall. Geo Metro was also featured on Bandcamp Daily to discuss the release of their album SCIVIAS on burner phones.

After Florawave, I found Noise Table, a live set recorded as a collab between Geo Metro and Bonneville. This was my first Aesir A|V purchase, and the first release I listened to multiple times. It starts with a downtempo ambient piece by Bonneville, and slowly blends in the more choppy hardvapor style of Geo Metro as the set goes on. It’s a good introduction to the two as artists, but seems to lean a little bit more toward Bonneville’s stylings and can ease you into the catalog as a result.

As I dove into more of the music, Florawave 2 was released. It includes a set by Bonneville as well as the James Webster project HCMJ. The visuals are gorgeous and the set is decorated with leaves and flowers, giving a soothing aura around the artists as they perform.

In contrast to the calming effects of Florawave 2, R. E. A. P. E. R. by Geo Metro is a pumped up tribute to the mid-2000s rock scene, chopped almost beyond recognition. I wish I could have been there to see it recorded live, because the final track – D.R.A.V.E.N. – was a gut-punch of nostalgia that had me laughing with joy.

At this point, I enjoyed everything I found from Aesir A|V, but there weren’t any releases dedicated to Bonneville. They did have the set in Florawave 2, but aside from a few tracks with Geo Metro there wasn’t as much available when compared to the Geo Metro catalog. As luck would have it, Bonneville was hard at work on a full-length album which would serve as the turning point in my own journey to becoming a dedicated fan. After listening to it a few times, I reached out to Aesir A|V on Twitter to let them know how much I appreciated the album.

Bonneville was given the full physical release treatment by Virtua94 with Affordable Luxury, and it’s turned into one of my most played tapes. The entire A side includes glitchy samples of a review of the Bonneville SSE, a car that was luxurious, but not too costly when compared to European sedans in its class. The entire B side is a chopped and layered self-help tape that teaches you about fear, and I’m not exaggerating when I say the leadup to the final track moves me to tears. It’s powerful, beautiful, and includes samples from Sailor Moon in the background. I can’t recommend this tape enough.

In their next release, Geo Metro came back in full force with the Maximum Carnage EP. It’s a glitchy and experimental EP with some really cool things I haven’t heard before, such as ASMR audio in the background of a track. It really draws you in and builds atmosphere — something I am fully addicted to as a fan of Super Metroid and Atmospheric Black Metal.

The most recent release is a split with Bonneville and Geo Metro called アマクサ シロウ (SHIROU) featuring some of the nicest drums I have ever heard in a track. That same track also has more soft-spoken background ASMR, this time focusing on relieving a panic attack and leading you into the track with guided breathing. This seems like the best entry point for a new listener, as it offers what I feel are the core attributes of both artist’s styles in an easy to digest EP.

Many of these releases are part of a much larger album Aesir A|V has planned in the future. As a fan, I can’t wait to see what else they have in store for us! The entire catalog of Aesir A|V is a diamond mine, and it’s a real shame that more people aren’t exploring it the way it deserves. I’ve really enjoyed the experiences I’ve had with Aesir A|V, whether it is through the Youtube videos, the music on Bandcamp, or direct social media interaction.

I have no doubt that Aesir A|V is going to get a lot more popular as time goes on. The music is too good to ignore once you’ve heard it, and listening to it gives me a window into the future where I can say I knew one of the greats back before they were discovered by the wider public. Don’t sleep on Aesir A|V — your collection will thank you.